"Used To" / "Be Used To" / "Get Used To": What's the Difference? [Updated]

By itself, "use" means "to put into action for a specific purpose." But when you add "to," it becomes a way to talk about how things change over time — and how comfortable we are with those changes.

This article will explain the differences between "used to," "be used to" and "get used to," and show you how to use them with some helpful examples.

Used to

We use "used to" when talking about something in the past that doesn't exist or happen now. For example, if you played volleyball in high school, but you don't now, you can use "used to."

I used to play volleyball in high school. It was a lot of fun.

I used to eat meat, but now I'm a vegetarian.

There used to be a big office building here.

Generally, "used to" is followed by a verb, like in the examples above (used to play, used to eat, used to be). However, if it's a response to a question, you don't need a verb.

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Let's look at some negative sentences next.

I didn't use to like green tea, but now I drink it all the time.

She didn't use to be so messy.

Notice that "used" becomes "use" when it comes after "didn't." This is because "did not" is already past tense. This is also true for questions that begin with "Didn't."

Didn't you use to play tennis?

When "didn't" comes at the end of a sentence, like in the example below, we still say "used."

You used to play tennis, didn't you?

Remember, all of these example sentences are referring to something in the past.

Be used to

"Be used to" has two different meanings. The first is "used for" or "used in order to." This usage comes before a verb, as in the following examples.

A clock is used to tell time.

This device is used to help you find your phone if you lose it.

The second meaning is "be accustomed to." When you become accustomed to something, it becomes normal or comfortable for you.

This usage comes before nouns and verbs in the -ing form, and it's for questions and statements about a situation in the present.

All of the factory workers are used to the loud noise from the machines.

Are you used to the humidity in the summertime?

I'm used to waking up very early in the morning.

Get used to

We use "used to" to talk about something that has already become normal or comfortable. However, we use "get used to" to talk about the process of something becoming normal or comfortable. It can be used in various tenses, so let's look at some examples.

get used to

Notice that "to" always appears before "get used to." This is important to remember!

getting used to

Are you getting used to your new job?

They're still getting used to living in a new country.

In these examples, the process of becoming normal isn't complete yet. In other words, the situation is somewhere between new and normal. 

gotten used to

Use "gotten used to" with the verb "have" to ask questions and to talk about a process of adapting that began in the past.

Have you gotten used to waking up early every morning?

There's a lot of stuff about my new city that I haven't gotten used to yet.

got used to

With "got used to," the process of becoming normal is complete.

I hated my long commute at first, but I got used to it.

It took some time, but I finally got used to speaking English every day.

Sometimes, people don't get used to things even though a lot of time has passed.

She never got used to eating with chopsticks. 

Wrap-up

Things always change, so it's important to know how to talk about adjusting to new situations.

A great way to practice with these different forms of "used to" is to have a chat with an Engoo tutor. Find one who shares similar hobbies, and talk about things that have become normal to you — or maybe even things that aren't quite normal yet!

This article is part of a larger series explaining the differences between similar English words. Take a look at this article to see more!

• grammar
• how to use
• what's the difference